Meant For A Pirate
by Jane L. Black
Summary: When Ben leaves Mal alone on her first real summer, she realizes she isn't meant to be with a king.


School was over, finally. Mal loved learning and all the activities that Auradon Prep had to offer, but she loved her freedom ever more. She imagined summer to be full of adventures and lazy days by the sea with her friends and her boyfriend, but till now she was just pissed.

Evie was busy with her fashion business. In a few weeks, there would be a ball and everyone was dying to have their dresses made by the best designer in Auradon. Carlos was with Jane, helping with the ball's organization. Lately he was always around Jane doing one thing or another. Jay went with Lonnie home to met her parents. He was so excited to met **the** Mulan. And Ben… She really didn't want to think about Ben because she would be mad all over again.

He was in Audrey's castle on Princess Aurora's request. The invite specifically said that Ben, and Ben alone, was invited to come. And he went, for diplomatic reasons of course. To his ex-girlfriend's home. Alone. Not caring about her feelings or about leaving her alone.

Thankfully, she and her friends were not the only villain kids in Auradon now. Harry and Gill were attending school there and somehow they all managed to get the past behind their back to become friends. Gill was easygoing, always smiling and make inappropriate remarks that made everyone laugh. He talked about Uma a lot and how fantastic she was, hoping that Ben would consider bringing her to Auradon. Mal suspected he had a crush on Ursula's daughter. Oh, Gaston would love this! And Harry… Well, Harry was different.

On the Isle, he always looked a bit crazy, not in his right mind. Always strutting through the streets, threatening to hook everyone that got in his way and making little kids and grown men scream in fear. Just like Mal back in her golden days. Now he was quiet, always lingering in the back only talking when it was needed. He was exceling in his classes, getting high grades and proving he was not the dimwitted pirate everyone thought he was. Mal was not surprised to be honest. Despite being Uma's errand boy, Harry was incredibly smart. They would often meet each other in the library and study for hours with him helping her with her doubts. Their friendship - _Could she call it that?_ \- was easy and comfortable.

"I'm going to the island for a couple weeks." Mal lifted her head from the book she was reading to look at Gill. They were in the park, under a tree. Gill was toying with new cellphone and Harry was lying on the lowest branch whistling an unknown pirate's song. He didn't turn to look at his friend, but became silent. "I want to visit my parents and friends." Mal crooked an eyebrow. "And Uma, of course." Harry snickered. "Do you want to come?" Gill asked him. "Not much left for me there." Mal knew the feeling. Her friends were in Auradon and mother was in a aquarium in her room. Harry's only friend was Gill and he sure didn't miss being boss around by Uma. He told so himself. His mother died when he was yound and his father… Well, let's just say that Hook was not very sane this days.

Gill turned to her. "Don't look at me. I'm not going." He sighted. "Fine! I'm leaving tomorrow morning and I'll return before the ball. Always wanted to go to a ball!" He said happily. Mal smiled softly and returned to her book.

* * *

A week had passed since Gill had left and she was starting to get bored. Princess Aurora had extended her invitation to Ben for another week, but he promised to be back to take her to the ball. Well, he could shove his promise up his ass because she was not going to that stupid ball!

She was sitting again under the same tree, but this time Harry was next to her, lost in his own book. Mal tried to read the same page again with no success. She just couldn't focused.

"Urgh!" She closed the book abruptly and tossed him to the side. Harry looked at her surprised. "Something's wrong?"

"Don't you which you could just disappear?" He closed his own book. "I mean, I love it here but is just so boring! In the Isle, we were always doing something! Getting in trouble and having fun! Sometimes this just feels like a prison." Mal went silent and adverted her eyes to the empty school. She could feel his gaze studying her. For some reason, she couldn't look him in the eyes with losing her train of thought.

Harry sighted and got up. "C'mon. Let's go." She looked at him surprised. "Where?" He smirked. "To have fun."

She was climbing down the rocks finally feeling herself again. Harry said that he was to take her to his favorite place in Auradon and she should not be surprised to find out they were heading to the beach.

They had snuck out of school, not warning Fairy Godmother that they were leaving or were they were going, and crossed the forest were students weren't allowed to go due to the dangers in it. Now, they were climbing down the reef to the beach. Mal was starting to feel like herself again with all the rule breaking.

When she got to solid ground, Harry was already there and didn't offer his help to climb down. And she was thankful. Ben would probably rush to her aid like she was some helpless princess. She turned around and lost her breath. The place was magnificent. Golden sand that disappeared under a crystalline water that went one for miles and miles.

"Harry, this is amazing!" She gasped completely out of breath. "It's more fun when you get in the water." He said. Her smile dropped. "I didn't bring my bikini." He rolled his eyes. "You're becoming such a princess. When did you start to need a _bikini_?" His voice was judging her, but his smile wasn't. It was the first time, since he came from the Isle that Mal saw him so genuinely happy. Harry belonged in the sea, not in a stifling school.

He quickly striped off his clothes and she blushed unable to tear her gaze from his body. She had seen Ben without his shirt, but he couldn't be compared to Harry whose years on the Isle had sculpted his body. His tanned skin was only marred by the occasional scar and when he moved his arms and flexed his arms, she was unable to hold back a sight. "What are you waiting for?" Harry asked. Worse than being lost on his eyes, was being caught analyzing his body. Blushing, she discarded her clothes only keeping her underwear on.

It was Harry's turn to get lost on her porcelain skin. Mal was beautiful, always had been. Probably the most beautiful girl on the Isle and Auradon. He used to watch her from afar, playing with her friends and terrorizing others, not even sparing a glance to him. The other boys used pine over Evie, but not him. To Harry, Mal was the most amazing girl on the world. After she betrayed their cause, he was furious and thirsty for revenge, but coming to Auradon he made him finally understand the appeal.

Here they hadn't cold showers or empty bellies. No need to fight to for their place or what they needed and the best of all: their parents weren't here. They had hot running water, amazing meals and Fairy Godmother's affection. This was a happy place and he should be grateful.

Unable to keep looking at Mal without his body reacting to her, he hoisted her on his arms and, ignoring her protests and the electricity that rushed from her skin to his, Harry ran to the water and dove.

She came to the surface, punching and kicking, so he swam away from her. "Oh, you stupid pirate! You going to pay!" He chuckled to hide the fact that his insides were stirring. Her purple hair was wet and glued to her red face and that was the most lovely vision he ever seen. "Come and get me, little fairy!" She shouted in rage and set off to catch him.

They spent the afternoon in the water, playing and laughing. She was being herself, casting some spells to toy with the water, not afraid to be reprimanded, and he said every curse word he could remember knowing no one would call him rude.

After the sun was gone, they went back to the sand. Mal lay on his red pirate coat and he was content to just to sit on the ground waiting for his skin to dry.

"Do you miss it?" She asked, suddenly. He turned to her. Mal was admiring the stars that started decorating the sky, making her green eyes shine in an astonishing way. "What?"

"The Isle." He shrugged. "Sometimes."

"I do. All the time." She confessed. "I miss being able to walk around as I please, no one asking question about where I'm going, what I'm going to do, who I'm going to be with. I miss people running away from me with just one look." He lay down next to her, but kept admiring her face. After a while, she turned to him. "I miss being free."

"I miss my ship." He blurted. "It was the only thing that was mine, you know? I just wanted to take and go away. Discover the ocean and the world."

"I would like that." He crooked his eyebrow at her. She smiled softly. "To see the world." He swallowed, looking away from her. "I'm sure his Majesty would show you if you asked." Mal snickered. "Ben is too busy with politics to remember his girlfriend."

"He's a fool then." He felt himself blush under her gaze so turned to watch the stars. Mal reached for his hand and held it. Harry looked at their joined hands surprised and then at her. "Thank you." She said, smiling.

* * *

Mal sat on her bed ready for the ball. Ben had arrived that morning, gave her a quick kiss and disappeared into his office promising to see her at dorm. He was fifteen minutes late. She sighted looking to her bedside table.

A recent frame placed in there caught her eye: she and Harry in **their** beach smiling to the camera. The last with had been so much fun and helped Mal remember who she was and where she was from. They ran in the wood barefoot, snuck out at night to swim in the lake, climbed to the roof to gaze at the stars and stole food from the kitchens to have a picnic at the beach. The best part of spending time with Harry was being herself. She loved their friendship.

Mal cringed at that word: **friendship**. She got up from the bed and moved to the window. She loved Ben but Harry made her heart skip a beat and her insides stir. Ben made the goodness in her come out but Harry accepted both her good and wicked side.

A knock on her head woke her from her thoughts. She went to open it, ready to reprimand Ben but the words were caught in her throat.

Harry was smiling at her, admiring her dress and wearing a brand new read coat. Evie's courtesy, of course. "You look… stunning."

"You look very dashing yourself."

"Thank you." He said. "Oh, this is for you." Mal gently grabbed the red rose he gave her. "Oh Harry, thank you so much."

"It's nothing. So, are you ready?" She looked at him confused. "To the bal…"

"Oh… Oh! I'm sorry, Harry, but I'm waiting for Ben." He started fiddling with his buttons, trying to avoid her gaze. "Is there something wrong?" He scratched his hair. "I don't know how to tell you this." Her hand flew to her chest. "Oh my god, you hooked him." Harry made a nervous sound. "No, not really. I'm leaving it to you." She placed her hands on her hips and crooked her eyebrow. "Ben left ten minutes ago on his limo." Her mouth fell open. "I'm sorry, Mal." And he meant it. She felt the tears in her eyes but the evil side of her was bubbling. Ben forgot about her? How dare he? He dumped her to go to his ex-girlfriend's place for two weeks! He forgot about her? That was it! She was going to murder him!

Mal pushed Harry to the side and walked past him. "I'm going to need your hook."

The party was in full swing when they got there. "Wow, this is a ball?" Harry asked looking around. "Yes." Mal answered searching for her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend in the crowd. "This sucks." She couldn't hold back a giggle. It was good having him with her. "There he is." Mal marched to Ben and poked him on the shoulder.

He turned, smiling at her. "Hey, Mal –" And she punched him in face. She could hear Harry laughing behind her, her friends shouting her name and the collective gasp from the crowd. "What the hell? Mal!" Ben said holding his bleeding nose.

"YOU FORGOT ME!" She screamed. "I was waiting in my room! For you! For us to come to this stupid dance together!"

"I… we… You did?" At least he had the decency to look ashamed. "I DID! AND YOU LEFT! WITHOUT ME!"

"It was my fault, Mal. I told him we're late…" Audrey came out of nowhere; touching Ben's arm and making her remember how she had been abandoned for two whole weeks. "Oh, shut up, Audrey!" The princess closed her mouth and Mal turned to Ben again. "If it wasn't for Harry, I would still be waiting for you!" Ben rose to his full height, looking furious.

"Oh, Harry did? How kind of him! Like he did take care of you these past few weeks?" Mal looked at him in disbelief. Was he really accusing her of what she thought? "How dare you? You were all over Audrey –"

"I was not –"

"- in her castle, I was here. Alone. Completely abandoned. Harry was my only friend. He kept me company and tried to help me have fun. He was there for me when my boyfriend and my best friends –" She turned to Evie, Carlos and Jay – who had the decency to look ashamed – and back at Ben. "- left me alone to enjoy my first real summer." The ballroom was silent, waiting for Ben's reaction. "But you know what? It doesn't matter. I had fun!" She looked at Harry, smiling softly at him. " **We** had fun."

"Mal, I'm sorry. Let's talk and we'll get through this." Ben said, trying to reach her. Mal jumped away from his touch. "No, we'll not." She rolled her eyes at the dramatic gasp from the crowd. Great, an audience. "I thought I was living my happily ever after, but I was wrong. You are a king, Ben, but I wasn't made to be queen. I'm villain and wicked. I should be with someone like me." Then it came to her. She should be with someone who accepted her for who she was: the good and the bad. She should be with someone who didn't expect her to act like someone she was not. Someone who understood her fears and doubts. Someone who went to hell and back with her. Someone who made her smile just by being there. Someone who snuck out of school just because she said she was bored. Mal turned. "I should be with a pirate." Harry looked at her confused. She hoped she wasn't reading the signs wrong. She wouldn't be able to handle it.

Mal saw the moment realization came to him. His posture became straighter, his expression softened and his beautiful green eyes shinned with contentment. "Are you serious?" She nodded. "Dead serious." He let out a nervous chuckle. Mal turned to her friends but before she could say something, Evie hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"It's fine. I don't blame you." Mal pushed away from her arms. "You'll keep in touch, right?" Evie asked in a fearful voice. Mal smiled softly at her. "Evie, you're my best friend. I'll never let you go." They hugged again and Mal turned to Carlos and Jay, hugging them quickly and kissing their cheeks. "Don't get yourself in trouble, boys." She then went to Harry, who offered her his arm. "Ready to see the world?" She beamed at him.

"Definitely."

* * *

Mal sat on the sand and sighted. She and Harry left Auradon two months ago and never regretted it. They'd been sailing ever since. Ben texted her saying how sorry he was and for her to come back home but she didn't even know where home was. For a while, she thought that Ben and Auradon were where she would find her happiness but now she knew how wrong she was. Discovering the world with her favorite pirate was making Mal feel complete again.

Harry got out of the water and she had to hold back a moan. The droplets were running down his body passing his broad chest and his toned abdomen. His tanned muscle arms flexed when he passed his hands through his hair and a sparkle came to his green eyes when they fell on hair.

"Having fun?"

"You know I am." She said trying to control the tremble in her voice. The more time they spent together, the more hart it became for her to hide her body's reaction to him. Harry grabbed her hand. "I'm glad you came." Mal smiled looking at their intertwined hands. "I'm glad I decided to come."

Her phone buzzed and she peeked at the screen. _**Ben**_. She sighted and ignored him, looking at Harry again. He was admiring the ocean, lost in his thoughts. "Harry…"

"Do you want to come back?"

"Excuse me?" She felt hurt with his question. "To Auradon. To your friends. To _him_."

"No! No! No, I don't." She turned to Harry, moving to stand closer to him and placing a hand on his arm. "I meant what I said, Harry. I wasn't meant to be a Queen and to be with a King." He snickered. "Because your wicked?" She placed a hand on his shin, turning him in her direction and smiled.

She loved him. It didn't take her lot of time to realize she was in love with Harry Hook. He was caring, truthful, bold and, to be honest, a little bit insane. They could talk for hours and have fun together without any fear of judgement. He would smile at her and she couldn't just hold it together. And those eyes… Oh God, those stunning green eyes. He was so imperfect in so many eyes but the way he made her feel was the right way to feel. The way love should feel.

And it was time for him to know that.

"No. Because I'm in love with a pirate." Just like the day they felt Auradon, she could pinpoint the exact moment he understood her words. He beamed at her and Mal smiled back.

Harry held her face and studied her expression. He was still waiting her for to stop him. Silly pirate! She would never have enough nerve to stop him. "Are you going to kiss me or what?" He chuckled softly and pressed his lips to her.

He tasted like salt and sweet and she couldn't get enough of him. Deciding they waited long enough, Mal moved to stand on top of him, holding his face and demanding more of their kiss. Harry was still trying to keep it innocent and making the moment last, but Mal decided against. She didn't want a gentleman, she wanted a rebel.

Harry let out a deep groan when Mal rolled her hips and pressed his groin. Giving up on desire, the pirate dug his nails on her skin and deepened the kiss, discovering her mouth with his tongue. Mal let a small moan escape and hid her hands on his wild hair, pulling it. He let go of her mouth and starting trailing kisses down her throat, reaching the base of her neck. He hesitated for a moment, but Mal tugged his hair giving him the silent permission he need. When his lips touched her sensible breast, she let out a loud moan.

"I love you." She said with a weak voice. Harry pulled away and stared at her. Mal's eyes opened to stare at him. Her purple hair was wild, her emerald eyes were dark with lust and her cheeks blushed. "I –" She started.

"I love you." He said with a firm voice. They smiled at each other and Harry reached to her mouth hungrily.

Mal was right. She was meant for a pirate. **_This pirate._**

* * *

 **Hi! Jane's back!**

 **Hope you loved this story because I know I did.**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **Love,**

 _ **Jane**_


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